Col 1:24-2:3
SS Lesson for 06/02/2024
Devotional Scripture: Rom 11:25-33
Colossians and Philemon are two of the four letters we call the Prison Epistles, the other two being Ephesians and Philippians. Paul wrote them from prison in Rome in the early AD 60s. There is no indication that Paul planted the church in Colossae (Colossians 2:1). Instead, a certain Epaphras probably did so after Paul had visited nearby towns (1:3-8; 4:12). According to most scholars, the church in Colossae was likely planted as a result of Paul’s third missionary journey (Acts 18:23-21:16). Paul refers to the nearby towns of Hierapolis and Laodicea in Colossians 2:1; 4:13-16. The congregations of Paul’s day faced the dual threat of their members returning either to pagan deities or to superseded Jewish practices (Romans 7:6; etc.). A more insidious heresy was syncretism—a blending of old beliefs and practices with new ones. Teachers of this system would say something like, “Having Christ is important, but to be saved, you also need” That sentence might be completed by one or more Jewish practices of the Law of Moses. Or it might be finished with speculative elements of Greek philosophy. Both seemed to have been problems at Colossae per Colossians 2:8-15. But before he confronted those problems, Paul first needed to ensure that his readers understood his own status, intent, and work.
2 That their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ,
3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
(Scriptural Text from the New King James Version; cross-references from the NIV)
24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,
25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,
26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.
27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
29 To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.
10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
19 For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God.
4 Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.
5 Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.
14 "Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
7 "But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. 8 He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.
58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.
36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.
10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
1 For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh,
2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ,
3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
12 "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 13 All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
51 Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52 From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three.
15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death.
18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. 19 No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval.
16 I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.
45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.
39 Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind."
18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'
6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
11 I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. 12 I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.
19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 20 We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true — even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
6 he said, "Listen to my words: "When a prophet of the Lord is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams.
6 Now, brothers, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction?
17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
We proclaim him by instructing and teaching all people
Speaking of Christ as the hope of glory, the text literally reads, “whom we proclaim by admonishing every person and teaching every person in all wisdom.” Again, the focus is on the proclamation of a person, not a theological persuasion, not a hierarchy of angelic powers, and certainly not a compilation of rules and regulations, but a living person who is the fulfillment of hundreds of prophecies of the Old Testament. He who is proclaimed is the Christ.
“Proclaim” (katangello, “proclaim, announce,”) has a note of solemnity about it; it became almost a technical term for missionary activity of announcing the good news about Christ “since it was normally used of the gospel itself or some element in it. So the gospel (1 Cor. 9:14), the testimony of God (1 Cor. 2:1), and the Word of God (Acts 13:5; 17:13; cf. 15:36) are “proclaimed,” while sometimes Christ (Phil 1:17, 18), his death (1 Cor. 11:26) and resurrection (Acts 4:2), as well as the forgiveness of sins (Acts 13:38), were the significant elements in the apostolic announcement.184 In the New Testament, it occurs only in Paul (6 times) and in Acts (eleven times).
The method by which this is done is spelled out with two participles of means, “instructing (or admonishing) and teaching.” “Instructing” is noutheteo, “to admonish, warn, instruct.” Since it is derived from nous, “mind” and tithemi, “to place, set,” the basic idea is that of putting sense into the mind through warning, counsel, or admonishment. Noutheteo is the negative side of proclamation and carries a moral appeal to the volition to straighten out something that is out of order or contrary to the will and purpose of God. “Teaching” (didasko, “to teach, instruct”) is the positive side of proclamation and involves the impartation of biblical truth to lay the needed foundation for biblical wisdom or understanding. In “admonishment” there is a moral appeal for spiritual change, and with “teaching” there is a doctrinal emphasis that forms the means and basis for change through the power of God’s gracious work in Christ.
with all wisdom that we may present every person mature in Christ
“With all wisdom” may look at the manner, “wisely,” but it is better to understand it to refer to the content—the whole range of biblical truth that is to be the sphere in which the teacher operates. The words “with all wisdom” and “every person” (repeated three times in 1:28) are aimed against the Colossian heretics because they claimed to have a superior wisdom that contained a form of speculative knowledge of the higher worlds, but it was only for a limited elite few. By contrast the proclamation of the cosmic Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (2:3), brings all wisdom within the reach of all who hear and believe in the gospel. No one is excluded.
Whom we proclaim by admonishing every person and teaching every person with all wisdom, so that we may present every person mature in Christ (my translation).
The apostle’s goal was to present every believer mature in Christ. Since Paul’s focus is on the present experience of the Colossians, the term “mature” is a better translation of the Greek teleion than “perfect.” The latter implies a future, eschatological focus of ultimate sanctification. The simple truth is that every church with their leadership should be committed to building all believers of the flock into mature, Christ-like Christians. Too often churches resemble a hospital ward where believers are coddled and pampered rather than a training camp where they are being trained to become Spirit controlled ministering servants who reproduce themselves in the lives of others. Our task in ministry is never over with the conversion of men and women. That’s only the beginning. The objective of the church is to see all believers grow from one stage of maturity to another, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Cor. 3:18).
… The word perfect was a favorite word with the gnostic teachers. It described the disciple who was no longer a novice, but who had matured and was fully instructed in the secrets of the religion. Paul used it to mean “complete, mature in Christ.” This is the goal of all preaching, warning, and teaching.185
Toward this goal I also labor, struggling according to his power that powerfully works in me.
“Toward this goal” represents the Greek phrase eis ho, “toward which,” and expresses movement toward a goal or a purpose. Paul’s desire and the biblical objective of seeing all believers grow and mature in Christ was certainly a captivating force that directed his life as his mission and mandate, but to accomplish such a goal requires nothing less than God’s supernatural power. Seeing people move forward from babes in Christ to full grown Christians is a difficult task that requires God’s power at work in us. In 2 Corinthians 2:16 the apostle asks, “who is adequate for these things?” Certainly we are not, but he goes on to show that our adequacy is from God:
Now we have such confidence in God through Christ. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as if it were coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who made us adequate to be servants of a new covenant not based on the letter but on the Spirit, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life (2 Cor. 3:4-6). (emphasis mine)
“Labor” is kopiao, “to labor to the point of weariness, to tire, to wear oneself out.” Regarding this Greek term, Kittle points out:
A distinctive NT use is for Christian work in and for the community. Paul has it for his own work in 1 Cor. 15:10 etc. It describes his manual work in 1 Cor. 4:12, but, since he is not under obligation to do this, it forms part of the work that he does for Christ (1 Th. 2:9; 1 Cor. 9: 15ff.). All his service for Christ may indeed be regarded as strenuous work, though it is also his pride and joy (2 Cor. 11:23). His aim is to present mature Christians to Christ (Col. 1:29). He shows concern for the success of this work (Gal. 4:9) and aims at an eschatological reward (1 Th. 3:5; Phil. 2:16).186
“Struggling” further defines the nature of his labor and shows the degree to which he labored. It’s the Greek term agonizomai, “to struggle, fight, strive, engage in an athletic contest.” Our term agony comes from the noun form, agona that Paul uses in 2:1, “struggle.” But the key here is the means he depended on for both his motivation and strength to continue. The apostle labored, struggling hard in the task God had given him, but not in his own strength. He labored and struggled only in the strength that God abundantly supplies to all His people if they will just draw upon His supernatural resources—the Word, the Holy Spirit, and prayer. Interestingly, agonizomai is used in 4:12 of Epaphras who wrestled in prayer for the Colossians that they might mature and stand fully assured in all the will of God. And like the apostle who was his mentor, he worked hard at this task (4:13).
The key to Paul’s labor is seen in the words, “according to his power that powerfully works in me.” Paul labored, but so did God.
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been in vain. In fact, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God with me (cf. 1 Cor. 15:10).
It was mentioned earlier that a responsibility for stewards is faithfulness, but in the emphasis here we see another. It is relinquishment. Until we have learned to relinquish control to the indwelling Christ, our hope of glory, we will never experience God’s grace truly at work in us.
His success was due to the energy of the eternal God. The present participle energoumenen (AV, “worketh”) may be passive rather than middle and, if so, we might render the clause, striving according to his working which is produced in me mightily. The root generally refers to supernatural power, whether God’s or Satan’s. This, then, is the secret of the apostle’s remarkably successful ministry. It was not his education, considerable though it may have been, nor his culture, deeply rooted in the life and literature of God’s ancient people, nor his shrewd methodology—and he was a master of missionary strategy—nor was it simply hard work. His secret lay in his Companion …187
“Did we in our
own strength confide,
Our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side,
The man of God’s own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth His name,
From age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.”
Martin Luther
We can only be truly successful when we learn to live and minister by the unseen presence of the risen Christ and allow Him to work in, through, and with us as the source and power for our ministries. So often, however, I see preachers, even with good motives, seek to manipulate, coerce, and force people into spiritual change or Christian service. That may get some results, but that’s not God’s method or means. The Lord Jesus, as the unseen power of our lives, works when we relinquish control and draw upon Him through prayer, faith in the truth of Christ, and by means of the control of the Spirit. Again, we can learn not only from Paul, but from his disciple, Epaphras:
4:2 Be devoted to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving. 4:3 At the same time pray for us too, that God may open a door for the message so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4:4 Pray that I may make it known as I should. 4:5 Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunities. 4:6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer everyone.
4:13 Epaphras, who is one of you and a slave of Christ, greets you. He is always struggling in prayer on your behalf, so that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God
2:1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for those who have not met me face to face. 2:2 My goal is that their hearts, having been knit together in love, may be encouraged, and that they may have all the riches that assurance brings in their understanding of the knowledge of the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 2:3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
As the overall guiding force of his ministry, the apostle declared his struggle in 1:28-29 to see the Gentiles come to know and grow to maturity in Christ, but here in 2:1-3 he makes it personal to the Colossians, to the Laodiceans, and to others to show his personal interest in them. In other words, Paul’s struggle was not limited only to those he knew. Rather, it extended to those who had never met him personally. “This is a clear indication that Paul had not started this or other churches in the Lycus Valley. The mention of Laodicea (cf. 4:16) indicates that the heresy had spread there too, though it was probably centered in Colosse.”188
“Struggle” is agona, the noun form of, “ to struggle, strive.” Agona was an athletic term that was often used of a track contest as in Hebrews 12:1, but also of a wrestling match, which here could easily be a figure of speech that forms a graphic picture of wrestling with the Lord in prayer for others (cf. the use of the verb form, agonizomai, in 4:12).
Thus, in keeping with Paul’s goal of maturity for his readers, there was another goal or purpose connected with his struggle for them. That goal was strengthened hearts that had been instructed in the sphere of love and unto a full assurance that would result in a clear understanding in the knowledge of the mystery of God, namely Christ.
There is some debate regarding how we should translate and understand “encouraged” (NET Bible) or “comforted” (NASB) and “knit together.” “Encouraged” or “comforted” is parakaleo, (1) to call to one’s side for aid, summons for help, (2) appeal to, urge, exhort, encourage, (3) comfort, encourage.189 While “comfort” is a legitimate translation, it is too weak here for this context (cf. vs. 4). There is no mention of, or allusion to distresses or persecutions among the Colossians, but they were under the threat of being led astray by the false teaching. Thus, “confirmed” or “strengthened” would be a better translation.
The means by which this strengthening occurs is found in the words, “knit together in love … “Knit together” is sumbibazo, (1) bring together, unite, (2) to instruct, teach (3) demonstrate, prove, (4) conclude, infer.190 In this passage, most commentators and translation take it to mean “knit together” or “united” in love. However, in the Septuagint, this verb always means “to instruct.” O’Brien makes a good argument contextually for “instruct, teach.”
A good case has been made for rendering this phrase as “being instructed in love,” so referring to the loving admonition given to the community. Several commentators (including Dibelius-Greeven, 25, 26, Scott, 36, and Montague, Growth in Christ, 82) have adopted this line. The verb sumbibazo does, on occasion, carry this didactic meaning outside the Bible (for examples in Aristotle, Philo, etc see Delling, TDNT 7, 763) while all ten LXX instances mean “instruct,” “make known,” “teach,” and refer exclusively to authoritative direction (cf. Exod 4:12, 15; 18:16; Lev 10:11; Deut 4:9; Judg 13:8; etc Isa 40:13 is cited by Paul with the meaning “instruct” at 1 Cor 2:16). The same connotation occurs at Acts 9:22 and 19:33. Further, Scott observed that Paul’s preoccupation in Colossians was less the issue of unity than that his readers be enlightened in their faith over against heretical teachings and practices (the Vulgate seems to have caught this point with its rendering “instructi in caritate”). Also this interpretation suits the immediate context with its strong emphasis on “knowledge,” “understanding” and “wisdom.” En agape then refers less to Paul’s love for the readers—as though they were “charitably instructed”—than to love in its full breadth of meaning, as the foundation of the Christian life (cf. Eph 3:17) …
The issue is a finely balanced one and while most argue that the translation “being knit together” is preferable in the light of the later verses in Colossians, our inclination, because of the immediate context, is in favor of the sense “taught,” “instructed.”191
“Being instructed” is a participle of means and explains how the strengthening occurs, by instruction in the sphere of Christian love. A further result of that instruction is a wealth of assurance that brings a clear understanding in the knowledge of the mystery, even Christ. “Wealth” is ploutos, “wealth, abundance, riches” implying not only abundance, but great value. The world offers all kinds of substitutes for happiness and security, but in the final analysis, they simply cannot deliver what is promised. The greatest wealth a person can possess is the knowledge of Christ and the assurance it gives regarding eternal life and how to live in the power of His exchanged life. People look in all sorts of places for meaning, significance, and happiness, but they are looking in all the wrong places unless it is sought in Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Paul says that they are hidden in Christ, hidden not in the sense that they are kept concealed, but that they are stored up in one place only, and that is in Christ. So the apostle calls upon the Colossians and us to look to Jesus Christ as the one and only place where we can find wisdom and knowledge. Johnson has an excellent word here:
Paul concludes with a final thrust at the gnostic Judaizers. Were they offering a deeper knowledge of spiritual things? Did they possess the secret of truth in their systems? In Him, in Christ are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden away. The word apokruphoi (AV, “hidden”) is emphatic by position, and in the light of this it is just possible that Paul may have in mind something similar to the mystery religions. In them the initiate, after a long period of training and instruction, was allowed to be present at a performance similar to a passion play. By means of the performance the initiate was to have an experience of identification with his god. The instruction given previously enabled the initiate to understand the play. To outsiders the ritual would have been a mystery.
Paul meets the heretics on their own ground. He has a secret, too. It also is unknowable, except to the initiated. To understand the secrets of the pagan religions, one must enter the temples. Likewise, the only way to understand the treasures of God’s wisdom and understanding is to enter Christ by faith. They are stored away in Him. He is God’s great secret; leave the mysteries of men and come to Him who is the way, the truth, and the life is the apostle’s conviction.192
With this in mind, the apostle will next (2:4-5), for the first time, directly address the dangerous heresy facing the Colossians.
(Adapted from URL:https://bible.org/seriespage/supremacy-work-christ-part-3-propagation-christ%E2%80%99s-work-col-124-23)
God’s care for the first-century church came primarily through human hands. The apostle Paul is, of course, the primary example of this. But what Paul set in motion needed the help of others to carry it out on a long-term basis, to finish what he had started (Titus 1:5; etc.). We see some of those potential helpers in the names listed in passages such as Colossians 4:16 and in the unnamed persons of 1:2. What Paul wrote to them was a call to alertness and action. They needed to remain alert to wrong views of Christ, wisdom, power, glory, mystery, etc. Only with such alertness could they be prepared to act to protect the church. So how well did the church at Colossae do in this regard? We don’t really know, but the church in nearby Laodicea received criticism decades later for being lukewarm in Revelation 3:14–22. Lukewarmness manifests itself in the form of complacency. Do you see signs of complacency in your church? How do we know when complacency is setting in—what are its signs? To be able to answer such questions is an issue of alertness, which must precede action. And who do you expect to take the corrective or preventative action? Perhaps you?